Winning The Game: ATF
by westernmelody
Summary: A not-so-friendly rivalry between Team Seven and Team Six in a touch football game exposes an injury to JD. While JD struggles with a secret, the rest of the Seven investigate how their youngest was injured.
1. Chapter 1

**WINNING THE GAME: MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ATF UNIVERSE **

"One touchdown! One touchdown, that's all and we would have beaten them again!" Buck Wilmington ranted; sweat staining his shirt and face as he paced back and forth on the field.

"This is the first time Team Six has won," Josiah reminded him, towelling off, "Everyone deserves a turn to win, sometime."

"Not them! I'm not turning the other cheek here, Josiah! You know what a bunch of pompous windbags they are! We'll never hear the end of this!" Buck was pounding his right fist into his left hand for emphasis.

"Buck, would you stop yelling, I have a headache," Nathan muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat on the bench.

"Ah, you can't win them all, Mr. Wilmington," Ezra stated diplomatically as he sat calm and cool unlike the other six that were dripping with sweat.

"Well, I sure aim to win them all!" The wrath of a defeated Wilmington knew no bounds. Buck was one of the most easygoing agents for ATF, but not on the football field where, as he continually reminded everyone, he had been the captain of his college team. That, and the fact that Team Seven had a less-than-friendly rivalry with Team Six, in both football and affairs of the heart, made losing this game a particular sore spot. Adding salt to Buck's wound was the fact that Trey Morgan was dating Alice Grey, the lovely secretary Buck had his eye on for weeks.

Chris Larabee watched his long-time friend with inner amusement. Chris hated losing as well, but Buck's bellowing he found entertaining briefly until he realized the heat he would take from Team Six Leader Patrick O'Brian. O'Brian had been waiting a long time to get bragging rights over Team Seven on something and Chris' smirk turned into a frown as he considered the fallout of losing the game.

As of yet, the youngest member of the team sat dejected, towel around his neck, head down with the long dark hair and bangs covering his face.

"JD!" Buck yelled, turning his attention to his roommate. "Why didn't you get open and catch that pass? I lobbed it right to where you were supposed to be! You coudda beaten Norton, that fat-bottomed tub of lard, with only one leg! All that time and energy learning that trick play gone to waste! What's the matter with you, Kid? A hero's welcome was just waitin' for you and you blew it!"

JD didn't move or give any sign he knew he was now the target of Buck's frustration as Buck continued to rail.

Vin moved to stand by JD protectively just as Buck was prone to do in any other situation. "Leave the kid alone, Buck."

"Yeah," Chris spoke up. "Team win, team loss."

"Our first loss!" Buck argued, not mollified.

"Buck," Nathan and Josiah warned together.

Ezra noticed that unlike most altercations, JD was not fighting back and was afraid the boy was taking the loss personally. "Mr. Wilmington, the lad did the best he could. . ."

"And why are you being so kind, Ezra? Didn't you lose a lot of money betting on us to win?"

Vin's eyes narrowed as Ezra met Buck's gaze calmly. Vin caught just a slight movement, and doubled over with laughter. "Ezra! You didn't bet on us!" punctuating each word with a pause in between for emphasis.

Josiah, Chris and Nathan stared, open-mouthed and then begin to chuckle. Only Buck's face flushed. "Ezra! You traitor!"

Chris imagined he saw a slight flinch in Ezra, but Ezra was so good at poker, Chris wasn't sure. He did notice that Ezra's dilemma took the heat off JD.

Until Nathan caught JD rubbing his left arm and immediately pounced. "JD, are you all right?"

The other members of Team Seven's focus turned back to JD as the youth finally looked up and muttered those famous words, "I'm fine."

Nathan wasn't buying and despite protests from the youth, began to pull JD's t-shirt over his head, exposing his bare stomach and arms.

"C'mon, Nathan, don't strip me here!" JD protested, trying to squirm out of the medic's firm grasp.

"C'mon, kid, you've got nothing to be ashamed of," Vin teased. At other times JD's modesty made for a good-natured round of kidding, but everyone stopped cold as they got a look at the colorful bruises decorating JD's arms and stomach.

"JD!"

"What the hell happened?"

"Who'd you lose the fight with?"

"Norton tackled him a couple of times but not that hard I thought . . ." and Josiah's voice trailed off the Team Six walked past them, freshly showered and swaggering just as Buck had pulled JD up and held him at arm's length to examine him more closely, the scene feeding the amusement and arrogance of the team conveniently forgetting their previous losses to Team Seven.

"Mother hen," one snickered.

"Worse," a second muttered.

"Whatssa matter, Wilmington, your pretty baby boy get a boo-boo?" Norton mocked to the rest of Team Six's laughter. JD not only had the distinction of being the youngest agent by several years but possessed the slightest build, too. Not-so-quiet whispers doubting Larabee's wisdom in hiring a boy reached Team Seven. It didn't help that the aforesaid JD was cute and looked sixteen with his dark hair, milky white skin and long sooty lashes.

"Gotta play nice or Mommy Buck beat you up," sing-songed Morgan.

"Maybe kid needs to go back to junior high school," snickered Doherty.

Team Seven members rose to face JD's tormentors, each squaring off with a member of Team Six. Buck had actually let go of JD long enough to grab Norton, growling, "Picking on a kid, Norton? Big tub of lard like you? I'll bash your head so hard you'll see stars and think you are in outer space!"

"Hey, if he's too **delicate** to play with the big boys, keep him in his playpen!" Norton shouted back.

The topic of the conversation said nothing, slumped back on the bench.

Chris wanted to take on O'Reilly and could tell the others were just itching to shut Team Six's big mouths but alarm bells were going off. "Stop!" he yelled and everyone backed off. "Nathan, check JD. This isn't like the kid at all." Suddenly, Team Six was forgotten as Team Seven focused on their youngest. JD's teeth were chattering; his arms folded together as if to ward off cold (even though the temperature was hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk) and looked whiter than usual and with a haunted glaze in his expressive eyes.

"Chris, I . . . Buck, help . . ." and the youth pitched forward, as a startled Buck caught him. Nathan did a quick exam, and not liking what he was finding . . .

"Hospital," Nathan said, and Buck nodded, scooping JD up and running to his car, faster than he had carried the football.

Team Six had the grace to be ashamed.

"Didn't know kid was sick . . ."

"He was whiter than milk . . ."

"Norton, if you really hurt him on purpose . . ."

The sound of screeching tires jolted them and Team Six gathered up their belonging and left, victory celebrations forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

Speculation among the team was rampant as JD lay in the examining room of Denver Hospital while the other six paced.

"Nathan?"

"I don't know, Buck!" Nathan growled, throwing up his hands. "Let the doctors do their job." The others knew that Nathan's anger masked his worry.

"Well, I want to know who beat the hell outta the kid!" Buck raged.

Josiah asked, "Are you sure someone beat him up, Buck? You of all of us would know if that happened."

"Yeah, JD didn't say anything about being hurt before the game started," Vin frowned.

Ezra coughed. "But the lad was not his normal hyper self either, Vin."

"No," Chris frowned, thinking. "He wasn't. He wasn't running as fast as he usually does and he was way too quiet." Chris noticed Buck's concerned expression. "Come on, Buck. He has some bruises. Maybe Norton tackled him harder than we thought. He'll be okay."

"Nothing is ever that simple when it comes to JD," Buck muttered. "Little trouble magnet. Put him in a rubber room, and he would still find a way to get hurt. Worrying me to death," he added, rumpling his curly brown hair. "At this rate, I'll look like Methuselah in a couple of years and he'll still look like a teenager."

Tight smiles accompanied Buck's remarks. They would laugh later, with relief, after knowing JD was all right.

"Agent Larabee?" The pretty red-haired nurse smiled at Chris and the rest of the men, very familiar with Team Seven as the men were often at the hospital either as patients or visitors.

"Eileen," Chris greeted.

"JD's settled in Room 407. We usually ask for one visitor at a time but given it's JD and I know better than to stop you all from visiting him," she said as her blue eyes sparkled.

"Thanks, Eileen." Nathan said, a part of him noting that the notorious flirt Buck Wilmington was not even attempting to charm the pretty nurse.

"You can tell Bucklin's worried when he doesn't notice someone as pretty as Eileen," Vin muttered to Chris.

The six men followed Eileen to Room 407, where JD resided, resting with an IV attached to his left arm. The dark bangs hid part of the milky white face, making him appear younger if possible than his twenty-one years.

"Dr. Mathews ran some tests on JD, but they're not back yet," Eileen informed them as they gathered around their youngest. "He'll let you know what he finds. But JD's stable for now. He just has not regained consciousness yet."

"Nathan," Buck started again but Nathan cut him off. "I don't know, Buck! I wish I was the medical genius you all think I am except when not taking my advice about how to take it easy, but I'm in the dark, too!"

Josiah put one of his large hands on Nathan's shoulder. "We're sorry, Nathan. We all put pressure on you to give quick answers when we're scared."

Nathan patted the hand, mollified. "I know, Josiah. I am worried as well. Just remember JD's skin is so pale that any bruise on him appears worse than it is. That said, I just don't see how he got all those bruises - he's not a kid in junior high being beaten up by bullies . . ."

"Though JD looks so young, it certainly appears that way," Dr. Mathews said, stepping into the room. "In fact, if I didn't know your guys personally, I would call the police to report child abuse and have all of you arrested. I'm tempted to anyway, because you said this was a flag-football game with no tackles," he added in a stern voice while the others shifted their feet.

Nervous laughter filled the room. Dr. Mathews also was well acquainted with the seven agents.

"Now, everyone step out so I can check on JD," Dr. Mathews ordered, his business side coming out. He nodded at Nathan, letting him know he wanted to check JD by himself. Reluctantly, the men left the room.

"Now, JD," Dr. Mathews said gently as he sat by the young man. "You can tell me why you disobeyed my orders from last night."


	3. Chapter 3

JD's hazel eyes opened slowly to the stern blue eyes in Dr. Mathews's face as he sat beside him. He moaned, right hand going to his head and his eyes still clouded and confused. Dr. Mathews sat waiting, arms crossed.

"You're in the hospital - again," Mathews informed the young man.

JD's face scrunched up as he thought, than he tried to sat up.

"Keep down, JD," Mathews ordered. "It will be impossible to hold off your friends for long, especially Buck. Eileen has them downstairs getting refreshments. Now what do you remember?"

JD's face stayed scrunched up. "That stupid football game and Buck yelling."

"I told you not to take part."

"Couldn't. They would have hovered over me, Buck wouldn't give me a minutes' peace and I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse. It was supposed to be flag football."

Mathews lifted the blanket, exposing the bruises. "How about this for an excuse?"

JD flushed and pulled the sheet back up, covering the tale-tale bruises and looking like a child caught stealing candy. Mathews had to hide his amusement for a moment. But only for a moment.

"JD, the only reason your team was not called immediately last night after you were brought in is that the ER was a zoo last night with the gang shootings and the multi-car pileup. You were out of it and got lost in the shuffle. When Eileen finally recognized you and got me, you forbid me to call anyone."

"They worry too much about me," JD mumbled, but hiding his eyes under his bangs.

"Based on your recent actions, I see why," Dr. Mathews reproved, rubbing his glasses on his coat to clean them. Though he moved like a younger man, Mathews had gray mixing with the blond in his hair and wrinkles he claimed were the fault of stitching up members of Team Seven. Though he could rant and rave with the rest of the doctors, all seven knew they were his favorites. Eileen poked her head in, saying, "They're coming."

"Who are you protecting, JD?" Mathews gave one last shot.

JD's hazel eyes were pleading even as his voice hardened as he whispered, "Doctor patient confidentiality," as his fellow agents burst into the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"So, Kid gonna live?" Buck's voice boomed as he predictably was the first to JD's side, gently patting his hand.

JD smiled weakly as Mathew's stern eyes stayed locked on his face in disapproval.

Josiah could sense something unusual and frowned.

"Well, this young man will be calling our facilities home for at least a couple of days," Dr. Mathews said jovially even as his face belied the humor.

"Good," Nathan muttered. Chris, Vin, and Ezra nodded their approval as JD searched for help from the others, but didn't find it. JD sighed, but didn't protest quite as vigorously as usual as he only asked, "Are you sure I can't go home?"

Mathews shook his head and then looked at Nathan; realizing that Nathan was mentally adding up symptoms and coming up with diagnoses. "Internal bleeding?" Nathan asked abruptly.

"We checked, but luckily no," Mathews answered.

"Bruises look like JD went a couple of rounds with someone," Vin observed.

"What's this?" Ezra asked, taking JD's arm after noticing a mark around his wrist.

As the other agents stepped closer, JD squirmed, pulling the sheets up closer and saying, "I'm tired, guys. Would you mind going and letting me sleep?"

"I'm not leaving," Buck started, but JD managed a slight smile as he said, "No offense, Buck, but you didn't shower yet and I don't think I can sleep peacefully with all that animal **maggotism** smell around me."

"I don't smell bad," Buck protested.

"Eileen was wrinkling her nose," Chris disagreed.

"Ah summarized that an animal of black and white color had discharged a nauseating perfume upon the persona of Mr. Wilmington . . ."

"Ezra, for heaven's sake, can't you just say he smells like he's been skunked?"

"I thought that was what I said, Mr. Tanner. Now let's bid farewell to our young colleague and leave him in repose until he regains his youthful vitality . . ."

"I don't wanna leave," Buck started obstinately.

"Please!" The strident tone in JD's voice caused the men to turn to their youngest with concern. JD noticed this and smiled. "Please," he asked more gently, "I just need some sleep. I'll be fine," he added as he turned his face away and shut his eyes.

Mathews hustled the still skeptical agents out and sighed as he glanced at his patient. His pager went off and he reluctantly left, still shaking his head.

Eileen came in and sat beside JD after she checked his vitals. For five minutes there was silence until she noticed a solitary tear dropping from his right eye. She brushed the tear away from her favorite patient and stroked the hair and said gently, "JD, they love you and are concerned. Let them help you. Just talk to them and tell them what happened last night."

JD turned to meet her glaze with a haunted expression. "How can I tell them when I'm not even sure myself?"


	5. Chapter 5

I'll show them I'm no kid. Irritation, anger, determination. Taking off in his battered Ninja, speeding far too fast along the highway until he calmed down. Then peace. Relaxing at favorite mountain top retreat Vin had introduced him; gazing at the mountain view and birds soaring, the wind caressing his pale cheeks and ruffling his dark hair. Closing his eyes for a much-needed nap. Waking refreshed and relaxed. Heading back to Denver. Frowning at ominous sounds from his motorcycle.

The memory faded again. JD shivered as he rested on the sofa while five men watched him, troubled. A loud backfire from a truck in the street echoed through the room just as Vin entered the front door holding pizza and beer and kicked the door shut; both loud noises causing the keyed up men to jump. The boy on the sofa moaned and flailed his arms at the noise. Buck, as usual was standing closest to his young roommate, started towards JD when the boy's body jerked and he sat up, looking around with fear in his hazel eyes. Buck reached for the boy, hugging him and saying, "Easy, Kid, easy, you're safe, ole' Buck is here . . ."

No! Suddenly Buck's kindly face morphed into the sneering faces of four men, mean, unshaven, big and menacing, "Far from home, little boy? We'll show you what happens to someone who interferes in our business . . ."

"Let me go!" JD screamed suddenly, flailing at Buck and trying desperately to escape his roommate's arms and confused face.

"JD," Buck tried to calm JD but holding on tighter seemed to upset the boy as he flailed even more wildly.

Josiah stepped forward with Nathan, JD's unfocused eyes and thrashing movements.

"Let him go, Buck," Josiah commanded, and pulled Buck away. "He's not seeing you; you're scaring him."

JD broke free of the grip, stumbling over to the corner of the room and sat down, his limbs feeling clumsy and heavy, his eyes dilated as he moved his head back and forth gasping for breath.

Chris, Vin and Ezra stood rooted to the spot; Chris restraining Buck from racing to hold his surrogate little brother. Nathan had retrieved a needle from his medical bag and nodded to the others who understood but couldn't decide how to approach the still trembling youth. Buck was hurt as his approach was met with terror; Chris fared no better; and Nathan, off to the side, signaled to Vin to try.

Vin squatted after easing to where JD was slumped over in the corner. "Hey, JD. It's Vin. Let me help you. It's Vin."

While the others held their breath¸ JD stopped shaking and followed the voice to the reassuring blue eyes and familiar voice. Vin? Vin was going to help him, he needed to find Vin. Vin.

"Vin?" JD questioned

"I'll help you, JD."

Vin moved in closer, the boy's hazel eyes seeming to focus on Vin's face and JD suddenly relaxed and reached out. "Had to find you, Vin. Find Vin."

Tanner pulled JD closer, gently patting his back. "I'd never let you down, Kid. I've got your back."

Nathan moved in from the left side silently while Vin held JD tightly, JD's head turned to the right and before JD could react, inserted the needle into his left arm.

JD moved slightly at the sting, but Vin soothed him. "It's okay, Kid. Just an ant. It's okay, JD. Relax. I'm here."

Buck, his expression showing hurt that he wasn't able to get through to JD like every other time, sighed as he saw the boy go limp in Vin's arms. Vin kept his patting motions and met Buck's eyes in understanding. "Take him, Bucklin," letting Buck move in and scoop the boy up in his arms where he held him tightly before gently carrying JD into JD's bedroom and placing him on his bed.

Chris, Ezra, and Josiah let out the breaths they were holding. "That was hard. Poor JD. The boy is obviously frightened by a recent trauma. Whatever he was remembering . . ." Ezra said sadly.

Josiah, deep in thought, cut in. "It's not what JD remembered that has me so concerned, Ezra. It's what he is suppressing."

Chris' green eyes met Buck's stricken blue as Buck learned against the wall to JD's room.

"Don't worry so much, Buck. We'll get to the bottom of this."

"I know we will, Chris. But what will we find?" Buck asked and turned his face towards the young man he loved the most in the world.


End file.
